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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23266915">alea iacta est</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazyloststar/pseuds/Crazyloststar'>Crazyloststar</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy XV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Established Relationship, False Accusations, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 07:02:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,899</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23266915</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazyloststar/pseuds/Crazyloststar</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Another knock, and that gets Noctis moving. In seconds he’s at the door and looking through the peephole. He freezes. </p><p>It’s Kingsglaive. A group of five, from what he can see. </p><p>“Your Highness?” one of them speaks close to the door. He can’t tell who it is through their masks. </p><p>“Uhm, yeah?”</p><p>“Is Prompto Argentum in there, Your Highness?” </p><p>***</p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <i>alea iacta est - the die is cast</i>
  </p>
</div>Denotes passing the point of no return on a momentous decision and entering into a risky endeavor where the outcome is left to chance.
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>168</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>alea iacta est</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/argentumn/gifts">argentumn</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p><a href="https://twitter.com/argentulric">raine</a> was one of the winners of my twitter giveaway! Their prompt was promptis and “traitor” where something happens that makes them believe prompto is a niff spy but he’s really not</p><p>Hope you like this, raine! Thanks for the prompt, this was fun :333</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“That’s cheating!” Prompto squeaks. Noctis holds him in place with both arms around his waist, matching his legs that are also locked.</p><p>“You said anything goes!” Noctis smiles against Prompto’s shoulder. He inhales the familiar scent of Prompto’s detergent and is almost distracted enough to let him slip away.</p><p>“I didn't know that meant being an asshole”</p><p>At that, Noctis lets his fingers drag up Prompto’s side. He lets out a wail and tries to eject himself from the couch but Noctis holds firm, cackling all the while.</p><p>On the screen Prompto’s car goes flying off the rainbow bridge.</p><p>“You won’t be able to beat my time if you keep dying.”</p><p>“I know someone else who is going to die,” Prompto grits out as his character reappears on the screen. Noctis rests his chin against his back to look over at the screen, waiting the opportune moment to strike again.</p><p>Prompto’s skin is warm. Noctis is comfortable. He likes the excuse to cling. And teasing Prompto. His boyfriend.</p><p>Boyfriend.</p><p>It’s still too weird to say the word out loud but he enjoys the meaning behind it. Enjoys that it means he gets to be close, like this. That he gets to hang out with his best friend and kiss him and it’s okay. It’s a sense of home Noctis isn’t sure he’s ever felt before. Like the last few months had been a dream.</p><p>He’s intent to take advantage of their time together, because in a month’s time he is expected to take up his role as Prince officially. High school is over. He had his time. Now his father expects him to step up. And he gets it, he does.</p><p>But Noctis wishes this next month would slow down.</p><p>Prompto makes some headway in the game, which means it is the perfect time for Noctis to drag his fingers up his sides once more.</p><p>Prompto is squealing and trying to keep his car on the track when there’s a knock at his door. It makes them both freeze, because the only people who come over are Ignis and Gladio, and they both have keys.</p><p>Another knock, and that gets Noctis moving. In seconds he’s at the door and looking through the peephole. He freezes.</p><p>It’s Kingsglaive. A group of five, from what he can see.</p><p>“Your Highness?” one of them speaks close to the door. He can’t tell who it is through their masks.</p><p>“Uhm, yeah?”</p><p>“Is Prompto Argentum in there, Your Highness?”</p><p>He’s whipping his head around so fast he almost falls over. Prompto has drawn his knees up to his chest on the couch, arms wrapped around them and eyes wide.</p><p>“Noct?”</p><p>“Just. Be cool.” He tries to keep his head on straight, so Prompto doesn’t sense the fear that’s starting to sink into him. “They’re looking for you?”</p><p>“Wh...what?” At that, Prompto untangles himself, but he’s still sitting ramrod straight on the couch.</p><p>“Highness?” The voice on the other side of the door asks.</p><p>Noctis wonders what would happen if he didn’t open the door. He stares at the handle and weighs his options. There’s no reason for them to want to hurt Prompto but he’s thinking through every possible reason of why they would be there.</p><p>He can’t think of a single bad reason, Prompto’s Prompto. It’s that simple. And his dad knows about them, so it’s definitely not related to that.</p><p>“Yea, yeah. One second.” He unlocks the door and starts to open it.</p><p>Things happen very quickly after that.</p><p>The glaives don't even allow for Noctis to finish opening the door before they are pushing through. They don’t shove him aside, but one of the glaives does grab his arm with a hushed <em>stay here</em> and keeps him at the wall while the others all pile into his living room.</p><p>“Hey!” His shouts go unanswered as they crowd around Prompto. The glaive holding onto him is strong, but Noctis is about to warp away the second the glaives surround his friend. “Don’t touch him!”</p><p>“Prompto Argentum,” the one who had knocked on the door says, “you’re under arrest for treason against the crown.”</p><p>“What?!” They both shout.</p><p>It feels like the wind has been punched out of Noctis.</p><p>As Prompto is pulled up to standing and cuffed, their eyes meet. Noctis is about ready to punch the glaive holding him.</p><p>“This is bullshit,” Noctis shouts. “Let him go, I order it!”</p><p>“Apologies, Highness,” says the one holding him, “but these orders come from the King.”</p><p>That makes Noctis’s blood run cold. He sags against the wall. Prompto is fighting against being pulled away from the couch, and Noctis finally remembers to breath.</p><p>“Noctis, please, you have to know--”</p><p>“Not a word,” another glaive hisses.</p><p>Noctis tries to push off the wall as they near him. “He’s not a traitor!” The glaives circle around Prompto so he can’t even try to touch him.</p><p>The glaive holding him pulls him back towards the couch so the others can leave. “He’s a spy, Your Highness.”</p><p>“No, no!” Noctis twists until he finally gets out of the glaives grip. They let Prompto get his sneakers on, and have opened the door. He warps forward, but the glaives catch on and move in front of him. Noctis hits a glaive head on, and falls back onto the ground.</p><p>“Noct!” Prompto sounds like he’s crying, and Noctis feels tears in his own eyes. He refuses to believe this is happening.</p><p>“Where’s your proof?” He shouts from the ground.</p><p>The one who had held onto him appears beside him and raises a hand to indicate the others to stop. He looks at one of the guards holding Prompto. He nods.</p><p>Noctis smiles, thinking they were listening. They’re going to let him go, and they can fucking go back to cuddling on the couch and laugh about this tomorrow.</p><p>But his smile fades when he sees one of them reach for Prompto’s wristband. And sees how Prompto immediately lets out a scream like nothing Noctis has ever heard before when he realizes what is happening.</p><p>Noctis stands as Prompto fights back finally. The guard beside Noctis pulls him back. Prompto is putting up a fight and noctis doesn’t understand why. He’s managed to squirm out of the grip of one guard, kicked another, but then the guards pull him up so they can chain his ankles together and -</p><p>“Prompto! You have to calm down!”</p><p>The guard gets a grip on Prompto’s arm as two more hold onto his legs. They pull the white and green wristband down towards his hand.</p><p>The one holding Noctis tightens his grip. “See for yourself, Your Highness.”</p><p>The room goes quiet as everyone looks at Prompto. Specifically, at Prompto’s wrist.</p><p>Where a barcode is tattooed onto his skin.</p><p>The world drops out from under his feet. This has to be a dream.</p><p>“Noct, <em>Noctis</em>, please,” Prompto hiccups. When Noctis looks up, tears are streaming down his cheeks. “I don’t know why I have this, I swear. I just was always told to hide it. I’m not a spy, I swear it on my life.”</p><p>Noctis can’t move. Can’t breathe. The barcode is clear. Noctis knows that there aren't any reasons for an Insomnian to have that tattoo. He also knows Prompto was adopted when he was just a baby.</p><p>Pieces of a puzzle he doesn't want to see start to fall into place. He takes a step backwards.</p><p>“Noct, no no no no, Noct. <em>Please</em>.” Prompto tries to get out of the grip of the glaives once more, arching his back and trying to kick his feet, without any success.</p><p>“Let’s move, we have our orders.” The leader moves past Noctis. And then everything slows down again, as the glaives pull Prompto through the door. After the last glaive exits, the door slams shut.</p><p>And Noctis is left standing there, alone.</p><p>He takes a deep breath. He runs his hands in his hair, staring at the door.</p><p>There’s no way. No way Prompto is what they say.</p><p>He runs to the coffee table and picks up his phone. He hits Iggy’s number.</p><p>“Noct?”</p><p>“Where are they taking him?” He almost screams out and the first tears finally start to fall.</p><p>A beat. “Who?”</p><p>If Ignis doesn’t know, that’s a big fucking problem. He looks up at the ceiling to try to stop the crying. “Prompto. A bunch of fucking glaives came in and took him. Said he was a traitor - and. He- specs...they took-.”</p><p>Noctis loses his ability to speak the next words. Ignis doesn't say anything, but he hears shuffling. He imagines Ignis moving paper, frantically looking for his keys.</p><p>“He had a barcode, Specs. A fucking barcode on his wrist. What does that mean!”</p><p>“Noctis,” the use of his full name makes him collapse to sitting on the couch. “Stay where you are. Don't do anything reckless. We will figure this out together.”</p><p>Noctis nods. Remember it's a phone call. “It can't be true, right?”</p><p>“I find it extremely hard to believe.” Ignis affirms. And it eases some of the pain twisting in his stomach.</p><p>“We will see you soon, Noct.”</p><p>He hangs up. Noctis sets down his phone. On the TV, the game they were playing is paused. He turns it off and lies on his side on the couch. He pulls the blanket over him, covering his head.</p><p>He lets out a sob that echoes against the soft fabric. It’s far too quiet in his apartment.</p><p>He somehow must have dozed off, because the next thing he knows someone is shaking him by the shoulder.</p><p>“Noct? Hey,” it’s Gladio’s voice, which makes Noctis throw the blanket off as he sits up. Gladio and Ignis stand in the living room, faces tight with worry.</p><p>“Let’s get moving,” Ignis motions towards Noct’s room, and he quickly runs in to grab a sweatshirt and pull on pants.</p><p>“What do you know?” Noctis asks as he follows them both out the door.</p><p>“As much as you do right now. The charges sound serious, and the...barcode tattoo... That doesn’t help things.”</p><p>They get into the car. Noctis curls up in the front seat. “But it can’t be true. Right?”</p><p>Ignis is quiet. Noctis turns around and looks at Gladio. “Right?”</p><p>Noct,” Gladio looks at him with so much sadness. Noctis wants to scream. There’s no way it's all been a lie.</p><p>“If you look at the facts,” Ignis says slowly, which means he’s choosing his words carefully, “the case against him is not good.”</p><p>“What do you mean <em>the facts</em>?”</p><p>“His adoption. His absent parents. His loner tendencies until meeting you. His drive to meet you. His skill with guns. The tattoo. His closeness to you.”</p><p>“The tattoo.” Gladio says again as if Noctis didn’t fucking see the thing.</p><p>He slams a hand against the side of the door, instead of the glass like he wants to. He won’t believe that Ignis and Gladio think Prompto is capable of this kind of shit. “That's all circumstantial. Coincidences being used against him!”</p><p>Ignis sighs. The car speeds up. “We’ll talk to your father. Maybe he knows something we don't”</p><p>“He’s my --” Noctis chokes on the word for different reasons than what felt like just minutes before. “I don't want to believe it was all fake.,”</p><p>No one says anything the rest of the way.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I honestly feel like this could get away from me in a good way so I paused it here, but maybe I will add more? </p><p>Catch me on <a href="https://twitter.com/crazyloststar">Twitter</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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